


Red Berries

by Ryu_Reikai_Akuma



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Love Confessions, M/M, Uncle-Nephew Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-01
Updated: 2014-06-01
Packaged: 2018-02-03 00:22:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1724300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryu_Reikai_Akuma/pseuds/Ryu_Reikai_Akuma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thorin didn't mean to woo Kili during their fishing trip. Honestly, he didn't! But Kili had other ideas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red Berries

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Falter
> 
> I just had another week of hardly any rest at work, so please let me know about typos etc.. Also, I have little to no sense of humor (I like to think I'm better at depressing people) and have bad sense of titling, but here's this fic anyway. Enjoy!

Ered Luin was beautiful during summer. The blue sky above was endless, green meadows spanned to the horizon, the town bustled with activities and the forest teemed with lives. It wasn’t Erebor which had rich expansive land, but it was still beautiful. Despite his preference to stay in his hall, even Thorin couldn’t resist enjoying the time of the year outside the mountain.

At least that’s what Thorin told himself when he invited Kili to join him on a trip to the forest. He knew Kili would likely not refuse since Fili had been busy with official duties lately. It was an admittedly sly move on his part, not to mention rather immature, but Thorin believed that it was quite within his rights to have the simple pleasure of a lovely company every now and then after spending uncountable hours working for his people. Furthermore, it wasn’t as if this trip was meant as an attempt to woo Kili. Thorin merely wanted his companionship. Surely an innocent intention wasn’t forbidden.

Thorin might be less familiar with the forest that Kili was, but it didn’t mean he didn’t know his way there… some of the time. He knew a small campsite often used by hunters. It was remote enough to not let them be disturbed and had a lovely view to a nearby river. He led Kili there (not for the first time. Thorin was often worried these repeated trips would bore Kili, but Kili always managed to find something new to entertain himself and amuse Thorin) and began to set up the camp while Kili looked for firewood.

“Thorin! Look what I found!” Kili announced loudly when he returned with an armful of branches.

Thorin hid his smile by preparing the lad’s sleeping roll. Some would be surprised to see him performing menial tasks for others, but this was for Kili who would likely make more mess if ordered to work on his own, as Thorin had learnt from many decades of caring for him. Moreover, Thorin couldn’t deny feeling some pleasure in doing something, no matter how insignificant, for the young dwarf. It was, after all, probably the closest he would get to what he always tried to not want. “What is it?”

Kili set the branches down and reached into his pocket. He grinned as he showed a handful of fat berries to Thorin. “Would you like some?”

“Berries?” Thorin wondered, pleasantly surprised. He was never very good at foraging (and too loud at hunting according to some, but that was an entirely different matter) and knew almost nothing about plants save for several edible or at least non-poisonous fruits and mushrooms. However, he recognized the berries from past hunting experiences and knew they were treats for dwarfs far from the luxuries of home and taverns. He picked one dark red orb and ate it. As he bit it, a rich slightly tangy flavor burst in his mouth. He hummed happily as he savored the taste.

“Do you like it?”

Thorin answered the question by taking a few more from Kili’s hands. “Who taught you to find these?”

Kili sat down, looking happy that he managed to find something that pleased Thorin. “Oin did. Oh, did you prepare my sleeping mat as well? You should’ve let me do that!”

“It’s faster this way,” Thorin replied quickly. “Oin taught you? I didn’t know you get along with him.”

“Well, get along isn’t entirely correct,” Kili said with a shrug while eating the fruit. “Sometimes he forces me to go with him to collect herbs and oddities when he sees that I don’t have anything to do and Fili isn’t with me.”

“So he’s keeping you away from trouble,” Thorin teased as he sat down beside Kili. There were some things left to arrange-much of their belongings were lying haphazardly on the forest floor and they had nothing for lunch yet-but those could wait-Kili couldn’t.

“Away from some trouble and into others. A dwarf with such hard hearing has no business wandering around in a forest,” Kili griped.

Thorin laughed loudly, feeling tension in his body disappear. It felt like breathing fresh air and being released from heavy shackles. It had been a while since he let himself relax and enjoy himself. Open displays of casualness and happiness had no place in politics which unfortunately usually occupies him. Sometimes he feared he had spent far too long absorbed in serious and occasionally grim matters, he feared had grown too dark and gloomy, too removed from any semblance of joy, but Kili without fail managed to prove him wrong over and over again.

“Consider it a lesson on survival tricks and fighting.”

“I much prefer Mister Dwalin’s trainings than having all predators in the forest descending on us after being drawn by Oin’s voice. Although I supposed he did teach me many useful things. Like finding these, for example,” Kili finally conceded, gesturing with his hand full of berries to a laughing Thorin. “Or teaching me to run as fast as possible from an enraged mother bear. I wouldn’t mind him so much if I didn’t have to shout my entire end of conversations.”

Thorin chuckled, imagining the frustrating exchange. Only Gloin had the patience for Oin. Everyone else generally gave up after a while and Kili had only slightly more amount of patience than Thorin. “I didn’t think you’d mind so much of making noise.”

Kili shot him a playful frown. “Are you saying I’m noisy?”

“You do speak quite a bit more than your brother,” Thorin pointed out while eating his berries.

Kili huffed. “You’re just lucky enough to not be around him when he’s bored or excited over something. He speaks in circles then. Even Ori ignores him when he’s in that mood and you know how eager Ori always is to learn new things from Fili and Mister Balin!” He shoved the remaining berries at once into his mouth while speaking with predictable result. Red juice seeped out from his mouth when he chewed. He tried to wipe his lips with his sleeve but Thorin stopped him.

The tall dwarf handed his handkerchief to Kili. “That should teach you not to speak with your mouth full,” Thorin said with a smirk while Kili cleaned his mess. “You still have some on your chin,” He said, wiping the sticky spot with his thumb with a smile.

Kili cleaned himself thoroughly and chewed more carefully. He looked at Thorin’s silk handkerchief (ruined for good, though Thorin had no regret) and frowned. Thorin watched him with a smile, wondering what went on in the lad’s mind. He knew both of his nephews very well, having known them since their birth, but he never managed to fully understand Kili. He was always a wildcard (partially due to Thorin’s lax stance toward him) who always brought the unpredictable. It wasn’t always good-there were times when the unknown wasn’t welcomed-but it thrilled Thorin, nevertheless, to not always know what Kili had come up with. He waited, expecting another rant about Oin or maybe the virtues of eating enthusiastically.

“I love you.”

Thorin blinked once, twice. He must’ve been hearing things. It couldn’t possibly be what he thought it was. Maybe the berries had hallucinogenic property? “Did you-I thought-The berries-Am I-” He tried and failed repeatedly, seeing the very rare serious look on Kili’s face.

“I love you,” Kili repeated firmly, his gaze unwavering.

Oh, so he wasn’t hallucinating. Knowing it was real didn’t help Thorin decide how to react, however. He looked away, suddenly nervous. It was everything he had dreamt of and yet not. Despite his best efforts, his imagination occasionally wandered. He had fantasized of the many ways he would confess his attraction and Kili’s gleeful acceptance. He had thought of many scenarios, ranging from likely to ridiculously impossible, where they came to term to their mutual affection. However, neither of those fantasies closely resembled reality. He never expected Kili to make the first bold move out of nowhere and while a part of his was thrilled by this discovery, he was keenly aware that this wasn’t just another fantasy. This was reality, and reality came with risks and consequences.

“You are young,” Thorin found himself saying. His heart thudded painfully in his chest. This wasn’t how he wanted it to be, but it was for the best. He cleared his throat. “Very young. When I was your age I fell for a different dwarf every month or so. Each time I thought it’s real, that I had found the one. Each time I was wrong. They were lovely, but I always found someone handsomer, smarter, funnier, stronger, someone else who fascinated me more. Then I would forget them and redirect my attention to someone new,” Here he paused, realizing that he had painted himself as a rather promiscuous dwarf. Well, it was too late to correct himself now. Thorin continues quickly, not wanting to be thought uncertain. He realized that he’s falling into a long pointless speech, a habit he always tried to suppressed, but he couldn’t stop himself in his nervousness. “Dwalin would gladly confirm this. One time I fell for this older dwarf. Oh, Dwalin hated him, called him a right bastard because he had beaten him once in a fight. Dwalin was smaller then and far less experienced, though by no means weak, and this dwarf was a big burly warrior. It only took a few seconds for him to pin Dwalin to the ground and make him surrender. After that Dwalin devoted his time to be bigger and stronger and did odd jobs to gain experience in battles. He really dislikes losing, as everybody else does, I suppose. He loves being strong. He likes winning fights. He especially likes celebrating his victory in fights. I believe he owes me a drink, in fact, and…”

A gentle hand on his arm stopped Thorin. He turned back to Kili whose eyes still held the determination he saw earlier. There was no trace of laughter in his face. It was clear that Thorin’s rambling speech hadn’t distracted him from their original topic.

“We’re not talking about Dwalin,” Kili said. “I love you. I truly do. Do you love me?”

Common sense dictated that Thorin should deny. There were many reasons why they shouldn’t be together, some were political and others more personal. Despite already having Fili as an heir, some still expected him to produce a prince who was his own flesh and blood. He thought of the effects a relationship with Kili would have on Erebor’s standing in front of other dwarf lords. Even putting that aside, there was his age. He was much older than Kili. As much as he adored the lad, he knew they often didn’t see eye to eye on things as they were in different places in life. He was also difficult to handle at times and Kili was also prone to outbursts of emotions.

Thorin thought of the future, comparing his wishes with others’ expectations and other possibilities. Thorin should say no, but when he looked at Kili, he saw earnestness and affection, he saw hope, he saw reasons to fight for dreams. And, truly, what else does one want from a lover? Kili wasn’t perfect and neither was Thorin. Their circumstances were complicated at best. But when Thorin thought of having Kili by his side, he felt that these possible obstacles were worth facing.

Thorin exhaled quietly, smiling to himself, then returned Kili’s patient gaze. “I do.”

A smile bloomed on Kili’s face. Once again he was the youth Thorin was familiar with. But he was more than just a naïve young dwarf, was he? Thorin must admit he had rather underestimated Kili’s maturity. He was more than a carefree lad. He could be serious as well and while Thorin didn’t expect to see that side of him very often, he hoped he would see that seriousness when it came to him, to them.

Thorin averted his gaze, embarrassed at the juvenile turn of his mind. “I’ll catch some fish for lunch,” He said. Without waiting for a response, he strode to the river, abandoning his unfinished tasks and new lover (oh, dear. They’re lovers now, weren’t they?). He would deal with them later when he had gotten his mind to catch up with his age again.

Behind him, Kili made a noncommittal sound. “I suppose we'll only need one bedroll tonight.”

If Thorin nearly tripped on his own feet, none was the wiser.


End file.
